Red Wings Future Stars: Dominic Turgeon

Dominic Turgeon was selected by Detroit in the 2014 Entry Draft 63rd overall. The Turgeon family has a deep history in hockey, so naturally, Dominic would find his way to the pros. His uncle, Sylvain Turgeon was selected #2 overall by the Harford Whalers in 1983, Dominic’s father Pierre was selected #1 overall by Buffalo in 1987. Prior to a tragic accident that took the life of Dominic’s sister Elizabeth, she played for a Colorado women’s team. He commemorates her by wearing her former number, 23, on his jersey in her honor. The Turgeon’s remaining daughters, Alexandra and Valerie, just finished a successful tenure with Harvard University. Dominic has so far followed suit in Turgeon fashion and has made a defined mark in the Red Wings organization.

Turgeon spent four complete seasons in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. Though he got off to a slow start in his first season, only tallying 8 points, Dominic found his groove and took over. The following three seasons, Turgeon improved his numbers dramatically. Earning 31 points in 61 games, 43 points in 67 games and finished out his time in the WHL with 70 points in 72 games. Turgeon was promoted to Captain in his final Winterhawk year, demonstrating the skill that it took to earn that title.

Turgeon joined the Grand Rapids Griffins for the 2016-17 season which resulted in his first Calder Cup Championship as a pro. Dominic quickly became an essential part of the Griffins special team unit. One of the fastest and most precise skaters on the team, Dom was instrumental in several critical penalty kills as well as power plays.

Dominic put up 18 points in 71 regular season games and earned 2 points in 19 post-season matches. Having a very successful rookie season, much was expected of the young center for the following season. He delivered. Earning a call-up to the Red Wings, Dominic skated in five NHL games. He didn’t earn any points but it gave him a confidence boost. Turgeon returned to Grand Rapids and finished the 2017-18 season with 32 points in 69 games. Turgeon did not skate in the postseason, however, due to a blood clot which resulted in a rib removal and weeks of recovery.

Dominic is an exceptionally fast player. He’s also a very versatile playmaker – he’s able to read plays and create plays at a moment’s notice. There’s little that Turgeon cannot do when on the ice. He’s a very mature skater – rarely loses his focus. He maintains a very positive attitude on the ice and isn’t one to take meaningless penalties. Turgeon is also one of the most frequent faceoff participants. If Dom is in, he’s winning the faceoff.

Turgeon isn’t a physically aggressive player, but he’s able to negotiate the puck out of tight places with little to no effort. He is a special team master. Often paired with Colin Campbell on the PK or PP,  the two are a dynamic duo.

Dominic is also an insanely hard worker. He’s a laid-back guy off the ice, but his work ethic is unmistakable on the ice. He’s methodically driven and routine – all the way down to his pre-game nap. Working back from a season-ending injury, Dominic will be ready for next season and hopefully get a few more NHL games under his belt.

Turgeon, like his uncle and father, is a phenomenal player. His speed would be an enormous asset to any team. He has a lot of special team experience and ability to work in those high-stress situations without getting worked up. He needs to work on his board battle presence but there’s little else that he falls short in.

He would need to gain a bit of weight to be able to consistently match the NHL, but his drive would rival any of the current players. Turgeon is very quick and smart with the puck and absolutely has NHL potential. If he ultimately doesn’t end up with the Wings and goes somewhere else, he’d definitely be a thorn in their side.